The WNBA is in the middle of one of its most successful years ever with record ratings, booming revenues, and a new generation of stars driving global attention. Yet behind all the celebration, a war is unfolding. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, once allies in growing the game, are now on opposite sides of a battle that could shape the future of women’s basketball.
At the center of it all sits Unrivaled, the upstart 3-on-3 league Collier co-founded, and a question the WNBA can no longer avoid: who really controls the future of the league — the executives or the players?
Is the Rise of Unrivaled the Reason for Napheesa Collier-Cathy Engelbert Feud?
With the league’s collective bargaining agreement set to expire at the end of October, the WNBA is staring down a showdown with its own stars. Engelbert, who has guided the league through a period of record-breaking growth, now faces criticism that she’s lost the trust of the players who made that growth possible.
Collier, meanwhile, has become both a player and a power broker. She co-founded Unrivaled alongside New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart and her husband, Alex Bazzell, who serves as the league’s president.
The project, once seen as a niche offseason option, is now a fully-fledged rival. After a debut season in January that drew nearly 12 million total viewers, Unrivaled is already valued at $340 million, backed by investors like Serena Ventures, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Stephen Curry.
That kind of success has the WNBA establishment nervous. Reportedly, Engelbert met privately with Collier and Bazzell in February to discuss the growing competition. Since then, relations have only deteriorated. When Collier publicly accused the WNBA of having “the worst leadership in the world,” it marked a public breaking point.
Engelbert responded before Game 1 of the Finals, telling reporters, “If the players in the W do not feel appreciated and valued by the league, then we have to do better, and I have to do better.” But her remarks came too late. Collier canceled a planned follow-up meeting, and the league’s internal fractures became front-page news at the height of its postseason.
Tension reached a breaking point this week when a WNBA executive issued a sharp message to Engelbert over her handling of Collier and her growing influence through Unrivaled.
“The most important people in this entire ecosystem are the players,” the executive said. “Lock them out if you want to, but all you’re going to do is ensure that Unrivaled becomes the big person on campus as opposed to the W.”
The irony of the current crisis is that it comes during what should be the WNBA’s proudest era. Deloitte projects the league’s revenue will surpass $1 billion this year. ESPN ratings have hit record highs — averaging 1.3 million viewers per game and merchandise sales have exploded by 500%. The league even invested $50 million into charter flights for the first time.
But many players say that growth hasn’t reached them. Salaries remain capped, and the league’s scheduling and travel policies still draw frustration. That’s why Unrivaled has become more than just a side project but a statement. The 3-on-3 format gives players better pay, less travel, and more control. For many, it feels like the professional respect the WNBA keeps promising but hasn’t delivered.
Inside the WNBA, though, there’s growing unease about whether Collier’s dual role – player, Players Association vice president, and Unrivaled co-founder, creates a conflict of interest.
Yet the players themselves aren’t buying that argument. Those asked about Collier’s comments have overwhelmingly backed her, seeing her not as a rival, but as someone finally willing to say what others won’t.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Engelbert. With the CBA deadline just weeks away, trust is eroding fast, and the players’ union, led in part by Collier is gaining leverage with each passing day.
